The Power of Gumbo
by DancingDragonBlaze
Summary: Tainted Histories and Better Beginnings Side Story: After the house arrest ends, Sasuke and Neji's paths cross late one night at the training grounds, and Sasuke invites the Hyuuga to dinner. What better to serve than his signature magic gumbo?


**Heya peoples!**

**Well, still on the road. In Montana now. MAN IT'S COLD HERE.**

…**Then again, not really. I've had worse. :3**

**So I started writing this up ages ago, but I never really got around to finishing it until just recently. You'll need to read Tainted Histories to get the full effect of this one shot, but if you haven't, this can stand alone as its own story.**

**I guess. **

…**.**

**ANYWAY!**

**I hope you guys like it. **

**But for those of you who are wishing for it, no hot yaoi sex. SORRY! =o**

**Tainted Histories and Better Beginnings**

**A One Shot Side Story**

**The Power of Gumbo**

_Glint. Zoom. THUNK!_

The moon shined overhead.

_Glint. Zoom. THUNK!_

The training ground was dark – it was much too late for anyone to be there.

_Glint. Zoom. _

_THUNKTHUNKTHUNKTHUNKTHUNK! _

But someone was.

_Zoom – THUNK!_

Gasping, the lone ninja there raised a hand, wiping the sweat before it dripped down to sting his eyes. Grinning, he stretched his arms up over his head towards the moon, stretching out the kinks in his spine.

"Ah – I haven't trained this well in forever!" He cooed to the still night air, opening his eyes to survey his handy work.

The four tree stumps that served as targets were littered with kunai.

And he had done it with his eyes closed.

Still with that grin on his face, he plopped down onto the cool grass, lying on his back to gaze at the moon.

His expression changed to that of one in a trance as he stared up at the white orb.

"Hmmm…" he murmured to himself. "The moon is so pretty tonight."

_That's strange. It reminds me of something…_

"Oh my – what do we have here?"

The man blinked at the voice before rising into a sitting position, turning his head to look questioningly at the trees.

He smirked as the newcomer walked into the light.

"Ah – Neji Hyuuga. Good evening. What brings you out here?"

The other surveyed him.

"I could ask you the same thing, Sasuke Uchiha," he began, voice blank – mild. "Doing some late night training, I see?" He looked over at the four stumps. Sasuke grinned.

"Of course! I'm a bit of a night owl – I can only sleep during the day!" He laughed. "As strange as it seems."

Neji merely surveyed him, hands behind his back.

"No – not strange," he replied after a moment. "I'm also a bit of a wanderer – especially during nights like this. Besides, it's not that late – merely around eight-thirty."

Sasuke blinked at him before smiling.

"Of course – anyone would want to wander on a night like this! Neji…" at his questioning look, the Hyuuga nodded. The Uchiha could call him by his name. Sasuke smiled brightly in response. "Will you sit with me? It's fairly quiet here, and it's a wonderful place to moon-gaze."

The Hyuuga – after looking at him for a moment – smirked.

"All right."

He walked forward, taking a seat next to the Uchiha on the thin grass – well-worn by the sandals of generations of ninja. Quickly following Sasuke's example, he leaned back to lie down on the grass, letting him easily gaze up at the sky. The Uchiha raised his arms to cross them behind his head – to make a pillow for himself, but Neji didn't. His fingers interlaced at his belly, and he let a small smile come to his face. It was pleasant – lying with the Uchiha, gazing at the moon. Nothing like he had expected. The villagers were always talking about how wild and corrupt the Uchiha was – like how he would tear you apart at a moment's notice – but that wasn't like who he was lying with at all.

Maybe they had been wrong.

"…Sasuke," he stated, taking the favor he had allowed Sasuke.

"Hm?" He hummed pleasantly, not taking his eyes from the sky.

Neji didn't either.

"Are you aware of what the villagers are saying about you?"

The Uchiha didn't look at him – didn't miss a stride.

"Of course," he replied. "They're not exactly _quiet _about it, but one must applaud their bravery."

"Maybe it's not bravery," Neji ventured. After all, _how _could this person be the same bloodthirsty beast the villagers spoke of –? "Maybe it's stupidity."

Sasuke laughed quietly – as not to disturb the peaceful, lingering silence.

Everything must be done quietly underneath the light of the moon.

"Haha – good point! Who knows, maybe it's both," he replied. "A mixture of the two, perhaps."

The small smile on Neji's face widened.

"Yes…" he breathed, closing his eyes. "Perhaps."

There was silence between them for a moment.

"Neji?"

The Hyuuga opened his eyes and looked over at the Uchiha, who had turned his head to look at the brunette. Neji noticed the glow the moonlight made in the depths of Sasuke's eyes, and he wondered if the Uchiha saw the same thing in _his _own eyes.

"Yes?" He replied. There was something different about Sasuke's stare. Something… _intense_ – it made a small chill run down Neji's spine.

The Uchiha grinned, his eyes scrunching up, and that intensity was lost.

"Would you like to have dinner with me? I'm afraid I made too much food this afternoon again!" He laughed, and Neji raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you're inviting me to a dinner of leftovers?" He asked incredulously. Sasuke rolled his eyes with a small smile, shifting to sit up. His form towered over Neji, who – not hastily, the Hyuuga kept telling himself, because of _course _there wasn't a strange, nervous feeling in his stomach at being seemingly _underneath _someone – followed suit.

"Of course not!" Sasuke replied. "I made something during the afternoon that needs a few hours to get ready! It should be done by now, but I always make too much, and I have no one to help me with it! So, that said…" he opened his eyes and gazed at the Hyuuga, those midnight orbs sparkling. "Would you like to have some?"

Neji merely looked at him. How could he say 'no' to those strangely intense eyes – eyes that seemed to burrow into his soul?

He nodded to the Uchiha.

"Thank you."

Smiling, Sasuke stood, Neji following suit. The Uchiha suddenly whirled and broke out into a dash.

"Race you there!" He called to the Hyuuga as the brunette let out an inaudible gasp of surprise that quickly descended into a smirk of challenge as he leaped forward, sprinting to catch up to the raven.

"You're on!"

-------------- ----------------- ---------------------- -------------------- --------------

They arrived at Sasuke's apartment within a few moments, the Uchiha leaping through the open window. Neji – caught up in the race – leaped after him, grabbing Sasuke's ankle and yanking him back as they entered his apartment, both of them crashing against the wooden floor and sliding back, even with each other.

Sasuke was laughing as they lay there, turned to face each other in the middle of his living room floor, the sound bouncing off the walls.

He was curled up on his side facing Neji as the other's weight rested on his left shoulder, the Hyuuga merely surveying the Uchiha in awe.

He had never noticed it before – the Uchiha was _beautiful_.

It was then he realized his hand was resting on Sasuke's waist – as if he was about to pull the other to him.

Shaking himself, he sat up as the Uchiha's laughing lowered to uncontrollable chuckling.

Neji glared at him.

"What're you laughing about?" He snapped irritably. Sasuke shook his head, grinning.

"Nothing, nothing," he replied, the mirth still in his eyes. Neji scowled at him, and he chuckled. "Just races make me laugh, I guess."

Neji rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he replied, picking his self up and straightening out his clothes, Sasuke following suit. He turned his head to see the table where they would be having dinner, with two places already set up.

He raised a incredulous eyebrow at the Uchiha.

"You KNEW I was going to come?" He asked cautiously. Sasuke laughed, flapped a hand.

"No, no," he replied, smirking. "I always set an extra spot – just incase anyone DOES decide to pop in." His eyes twinkled as he looked at Neji. "It happens sometimes."

Neji raised an eyebrow at him.

"Apparently," he replied sarcastically, making Sasuke smirk.

"Well come on, come on," he told him, motioning to the table. "Don't just stand there – take a seat! I'll get the food!"

Shaking his head at the strange Uchiha, Neji sat at the table and simply watched as the other moved about the kitchenette, taking out bowls, filling them up with something from a huge pot, and setting them down in front of both chairs. Bread, steamed asparagus, and glasses of water were placed on the table after that. Neji eyed the concoction with something akin to suspicion.

"What IS this, Sasuke?"

It felt strange to say the Uchiha's name. Too much familiarity too soon. Neji was beginning to regret allowing the other to-

"It's gumbo," Sasuke replied, sitting down across from Neji. "My own recipe. Try it."

Neji, never one to say grace, waited for Sasuke to say his own before dipping his spoon into it and – after watching Sasuke eat some – tasting it.

He had to resist the urge his eyes had to widen, and he politely held up a hand to his mouth in disbelief. Sasuke watched him with something akin to amusement, the reaction not really surprising.

"Didn't think I could cook, could you?" He asked, chuckling a little as Neji regained himself and continued to eat, trying to restrain himself from digging in.

"Not many ninjas can," Neji replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "There just isn't enough time."

Sasuke shrugged.

"I suppose that's true," he replied. "But if you stagger it out, you could learn a lot of things along with being a ninja."

Neji nodded absentmindedly, not really caring for conversation when he was busy eating. It made Sasuke laugh, and so they resumed eating in silence.

It was only after two helpings and the appearance of desert – homemade honey-vanilla ice cream with strawberries – did conversation resume.

"So…" Neji began as they slowly ate. "I've heard the story about your S-ranked mission from Lady Tsunade. That must've been incredibly difficult."

For some reason, the gumbo and ice cream had seemed to loosen up his tongue. He was usually never one to start conversation.

Sasuke, however, chose to ignore this fact as he shrugged easily.

"Well, I'm not about to lie and say it wasn't," he replied simply, smiling a little as he ate a bit of ice cream. "It was terrifying, sure, but it was what I had to do. Tsunade wasn't the only one who wanted to see Orochimaru ripped inside out."

This last statement was lathered with old bitterness, and it made Neji wonder exactly WHAT Sasuke had been subjected to in that underground prison.

He decided not to ask.

"I'm sure, I'm sure," he agreed. "Did Orochimaru ever expect you?"

"No, not really," Sasuke answered. "Once or twice maybe he had a fleeting suspicion, but he thought it wouldn't matter what I knew because he was planning on taking over my body anyway."

"He didn't expect you to be able to kill him."

Neji finished Sasuke's story for him – the tale of how Sasuke had destroyed Orochimaru was something of a myth, a thing of legend.

No one could understand how it was possible. Sasuke smirked wryly.

"Bingo."

"So, they say you've been to the Country of Waterfalls."

"Heheh, yep. It's a really beautiful place – see they have, of course, waterfalls, but the waterfalls are not only an excellent source of energy, but they are also the source of transportation for the entire region. You see…"

They ended up talking late into the night, and before Neji knew it, night was well on its way to becoming day.

Blinking at the way time seemed to just have flown by, Neji wondered how on earth he could've let himself stay so long.

Glancing at the kitchenette where the empty pot sat soaking in the sink, he pursed his lips.

Then Sasuke began to speak.

"Wow – it's near daybreak already!" He chuckled sheepishly. "My apologies for keeping you so long."

Neji shook his head.

"Not at all. I enjoyed hearing about your adventures."

Sasuke smirked.

"You've been on some crazy rides yourself, Sir Neji," he replied jokingly, making Neji roll his eyes.

It was then he realized that his guard wasn't up. At all.

_What on earth is-?_

"So I suppose you'll have to leave now, huh?" Sasuke asked, smiling a little wistfully. "Shame – I make some mean waffles."

Neji chuckled, getting up from the table. Just a little.

"No, that wouldn't be necessary. I'm full anyway – trust me. That huge dinner was _not _what I was expecting."

Sasuke laughed as he walked with Neji to the door of his apartment.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he replied. "Iruka says that my food works magic."

_Oh, you have no idea. _Neji thought wryly.

"Well, I certainly enjoyed it," he admitted, giving Sasuke a small smile. "Thank you."

Sasuke gazed at him, then smiled a little too.

"No problem. Hey, Neji…" His smile widened a little. "If you'd like to have dinner again…" he motioned to the table, and Neji remembered the two places that had been made up before his arrival.

"_My table always has room for you."_

Neji smirked, nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it, Sasuke," he stated simply. "Thank you."

Then he opened the door, and vanished.

It took an entire month for Neji to return.

After that, a week.

Soon, he was coming every night, always greeted with a smile and some wonderful concoction or another.

His mind always went to that first dish though – that amazing food that made Neji realize that, no, Sasuke wasn't the person people thought he was. The dinners weren't simply in the nighttime anymore – Neji found his mind, in a slow part of the day, wandering back to Sasuke's apartment, to the table, to the food.

To Sasuke. To that smile, to those eyes –

To that amazing gumbo that had set his taste buds on fire.

_One spoonful of that stuff will have them singing praises to him. _

Someone who could cook that well couldn't POSSIBLY be as bad as the villagers said.

The thought made him smirk.

"Neji."

He blinked, looking at the man he sat across the table from that he had grown to know so well.

"Hm? What is it, Sasuke?"

The name rolled off his tongue now – there were no thoughts of too much familiarity or not enough of it.

It just seemed so… natural now.

The way Sasuke was gazing at him – with that intense stare that never failed to send shivers down Neji's spine – the Hyuuga knew he was about to say something important.

"Ever get the feeling that we're not just simply dinner companions anymore?"

Neji's eyes widened a little as the words struck him, and as soon as he blinked he knew it too.

Then he thought about it for a moment, and relaxed.

Silently, he stood, and walked over to the Uchiha.

Leaning over, he planted a soft kiss on the other's lips.

"No…" he breathed softly, gazing at the Uchiha. "I guess we're not."

Sasuke smiled.

The next day, they had gumbo.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

**End Side Story – The Power of Gumbo**

**So yeah, a lot of it is inferred and stuff, but hey – this is a side story. We all know Neji and Sasuke love each other to bits in the real one. xD**

**Review?**

**Ja ne!**

**DDB**


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